Residency Program

Welcome to the UW Emergency Medicine Residency Class of 2019!

The University of Washington Emergency Medicine Residency Program is pleased to announce the class of 2019! Having received over a thousand applications from across the country, our incoming interns represent some of the best and brightest candidates in our specialty.

Please join us in welcoming them to our team. Brief introductions follow.

Arvin Akhavan

Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine

Arvin was born in Dallas, Texas, and attended the University of Texas at Austin for his undergraduate work. His prior research experience includes projects for the Chicago Marathon and working as a summer research fellow with the Department of Radiology at Northwestern. Arvin has also written for EM Curious and the Northwestern Public Health Review, where he served both as staff writer and editor. It was on a 4,000-mile, 70-day bicycle trek (which he dedicated to his mother) to raise money for a cancer center, an experience that shaped a life perspective and focus his passion on emergency medicine. Arvin is couples matching, and his partner is a candidate in Internal Medicine. Welcome, Arvin!

Patrick Bender

Northwestern University, The Feinberg School of Medicine

Patrick was born in College Station, Texas, and completed his undergraduate work in biochemistry at Montana State University in Bozeman. Upon admission to Northwestern, he was awarded a merit scholarship by the Alumni of Northwestern and was invited to speak at the Alumni banquet in 2012. While at Northwestern, Patrick spent time volunteering at a number of free clinics and served as a clinic coordinator in the Chicago area, demonstrating his passion for public health and patient education, particularly among the Hispanic populations. Patrick describes himself as an avid hiker and camper, enjoys spending time outdoors and wilderness. He also enjoys salsa and swing dancing. Welcome, Patrick!

David Cheever

Georgetown University School of Medicine

David was born in London, England, and graduated from George Washington University in 2009 with degrees in Biology and Political Science, continuing on with his education at Georgetown University with master’s degrees in physiology and biophysics. Since 2011, David has volunteered with the HOYA Clinic, serving initially as the social services committee chair, next as coordinator, and ultimately as an Executive Committee member and student clinician, overseeing and advising the clinic student coordinators. Before graduate school, David worked as a medical volunteer in Experimental Learning International and served at a small village in the northern region of Ghana. David claims reading fiction, following the Pittsburgh Steelers, reading “obscure political blogs,” sailing (mostly 420s), and dancing (“enthusiastically but pretty terribly”) at weddings as some of his hobbies and interests. Welcome, David!

Nicole Chicoine Mooney

University of Washington School of Medicine

Nicole was born in Portland, Oregon; and after earning her undergraduate degree in Psychology (cum laude), she was accepted and attended the University of Washington School of Law, earning her JD. Prior to entering medical school, she was a lawyer who specialized in defending physicians; and for ten years, she served as Guardian Ad Litem (free/pro bono), representing abused children made dependents of the State. In medical school, Nicole was awarded the Hearst Scholar Award, recognizing outstanding and exemplary independent investigative inquiry, community outreach, and patient education. She enjoys running, gardening, water-skiing, yoga, and horseback riding. Welcome, Nicole!

James Costakis

University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

Jim was born in Chicago, Illinois, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University in 2008. His interests and research have been in the areas related to the mechanisms of sudden cardiac arrest, including therapeutic hypothermia protection. He was awarded the top prize in the Medical Student category at UIC Center for his extensive work in cardiovascular research, and is a member of AOA. Jim is an avid runner, having run several marathons; completed three Olympic distance triathlons and a Half Ironman distance triathlon; and served as the captain of the Northwestern sailing team for two years, being named to the all-conference sailing team. Welcome, Jim!

Benjamin Friedman

University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine

Ben was born in San Francisco, California, and graduated from Brown University (magna cum laude) with a BS in biology in 2010. During his medical school tenure, he spent one year in a paramedic technology program at Northeastern University in Boston, and has served as a paramedic in Massachusetts and the South Bronx. Ben has been actively involved in emergency preparedness, such as establishing formal mass casualty incident protocols for all Kaiser Permanente Hospitals in Northern California and co-founded the iPhone “In Case of Emergency” campaign. Ben has tutored undergraduate students and medical students alike. Ben claims fly fishing, snowboarding, indoor gardening, and the Oakland Athletics as some of his interests. Welcome, Ben!

Rachel Harper

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Rachel was born in Long Beach, California, and graduated from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in Biology. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa during her junior year and served as chapter president. Rachel has demonstrated a commitment to global health and prior to medical school worked in Bangkok as a health program planner and International Affairs Fellow. Rachel was awarded the Luce Scholarship, one of 16 applicants selected for this national scholarship, and was granted a stipend, language training, and individualized placement in Southeast Asia for one year. Rachel claims the heart of an explorer, and enjoys sailing (originally on small dingy boats and more recently ocean voyaging on larger keel boats), and enjoys exploring and learning to cook foods from all over the world. Welcome, Rachel!

Anastasia Kendrick-Adey

Weill Cornell Medical College

Anastasia was born in Palmer, Alaska, and spent the first thirteen years of her life with her family in the Alaskan wilderness. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Dartmouth University, and was elected to AOA in medical school. Among her work experiences, she spent time at Washington State University as an undergraduate summer intern; clerked and researched at the Alaska Brain Center in Wasilla, Alaska; and spent research time in Geriatrics at Weill Cornell in New York City. Anastasia has volunteered at the Weill Cornell Center for Human Rights and assisted refugees seeking asylum and was a Student Board Member of the Weill Cornell Community Clinic for two years. Some of her interests include mentoring first-and second-year medical students, running, weight lifting and baking. Welcome, Anastasia!

Jacob Lebin

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Jacob was born in Denver, Colorado, and comes to us as both a graduate of the University of Colorado (summa cum laude – undergraduate departmental honors in biochemistry) and as a graduate of the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In medical school, Jacob was chair of the Medical Student Honor Council, which provided him extensive experience in advocating and arbitrating, mediation and team leadership. Jacob was selected as one of six students to participate in a research and clinical summer elective at a busy public trauma center in Cape Town, South Africa. Jacob was the diving captain of the University of Colorado swimming and diving team (2006-2010)--where he held three pool records--his interests, not surprisingly, are springboard diving and skiing. He is couples matching, and his partner is a candidate in Psychiatry. Welcome, Jacob!

David Murphy

University of Colorado School of Medicine

David was born in Aurora, Colorado, and completed undergraduate work at Seattle Central Community College, the University of Colorado, the Community College of Philadelphia, and Temple University, where he earned his BA in liberal arts, foreign languages and pre-medical. David earned a US Student Fulbright Grant to the Dominican Republic to study HIV and its relationship to citizenship status, and completed a summer elective in Cape Town, South Africa, at a busy trauma center. David counts his being a marine deckhand in Alaska, and experience as a roofer, laborer, mason, welder and machinist in Pennsylvania as shaping personal experiences in his life. David is the recipient of the Gold Humanism Award in Medical School, and he is passionate about emergency medicine, a field that turns no one away. David’s interests are in travel, languages, reading, motorcycles, carpentry, diesel engines, fishing, crabbing, and art; and his wife’s family lives in Olympia. Welcome, David!

Alexandra Pulst-Korenberg

University of Michigan Medical School

Alexandra (“Alex”) was born in San Francisco, California, and completed her undergraduate work in Psychology (with distinction) at Yale University and will earn her MD/MBA at the University of Michigan this spring. In the UM MBA program, she has been on the Dean’s list, and was elected into AOA her senior year by her medical school colleagues. In medical school, Alex co-founded and directed a student-run free clinic for uninsured patients, and was a summer intern at WHO’s Department of Patient Safety in Geneva, Switzerland. Alex has been a classical musician all her life, has played the flute for 20 years, has sung in two operas, and loves Balkan/Bulgarian folk singing---she has even performed in folk music on Bulgarian national television! Welcome, Alexandra!

Caitlin Schrepel

Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University

Caitlin was born in Durango, Colorado, and attended the University of Colorado as an undergraduate student. In medical school, between her third and fourth year, Caitlin spent a year as a global-health fellow in Chile, performing community-based research and working in various healthcare environments. She also received funding from Albert Einstein to complete a two-month-long global health research project in Kisoro, Uganda. Caitlin was elected memberships in AOA and Phi Beta Kappa, and counts Einstein “Skit Night,” a creative outlet for medical students, as one of her most challenging experiences during medical School! Besides hiking---where she has hiked five mountain peaks higher than 14,000 feet--- she counts art, art museums, and restaurants among her interests – the spicier the food, the better. Caitlin is participating in the couples match, and her partner is a candidate in Internal Medicine. Welcome, Caitlin!

The University of Washington, Emergency Medicine Residency program will provide the opportunity for residents to:

Train in an exceptionally supportive environment with an eye toward close and continued mentorship throughout the four years to ensure the resident’s academic, clinical and work-life-balance successes.

Work with faculty who are committed to the resident’s clinical and academic success and are focused on helping each resident reach their full potential.

Train at four very different clinical sites, and graduate prepared to practice in any clinical environment.

Benefit from a clinical curriculum with a strong emphasis on, and great depth in, critical care and pediatric training (greater than 6 months equivalent of both critical care and pediatric training).

Work closely and continuously with the world renowned Seattle/King County Medic One EMS system.

Work with Airlift Northwest, which covers one of the largest and most geographically varied service areas in the world — from isolated islands in Alaska to coastal villages in Western Washington and the high-desert communities in Eastern Washington

Teach within a top ten medical school where emergency medicine is required, as well as being one of the most popular rotations for fourth year medical students.

Work within the top ranked University of Washington system, providing a wide range of opportunities for collaboration and mentorship in areas such as Global Health, Public Health, Medical Education, and clinical, laboratory and health outcomes research, to name just a few.

Have access to, and receive training in, two state-of-the-art simulation centers at Harborview and the University of Washington Medical Centers.

Be a part of a GME community with a proven track record of excellence; ensuring that all clinical rotations as well as global educational experiences will be outstanding.

Make history in further shaping the University of Washington Emergency Medicine Residency program, and in so doing, further develop leadership skills.

Again, we are very excited to have received RRC accreditation and welcome our 4th class! If you have any questions about our residency program please contact our office or call 206.744.8334.

Sincerely,

Susan A. Stern, M.D.
Professor and Head
Division of Emergency Medicine
Department of Medicine
University of Washington

Fiona Gallahue, M.D.
Associate Professor and Program Director
Division of Emergency Medicine
Department of Medicine
University of Washington